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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2016)
Friday, January 22, 2016 OFF PAGE ONE UEC: Only the fourth general CANCER: Almost died of a burst appendix at age 10 Page 12A East Oregonian manager in co-op’s history Continued from 1A past achievements of our employees.” Echenrode, 54, started working at UEC in March 2013 and has 25 years of experience with rural electric cooperatives. He previously worked six years as general manager of the Northeast Oklahoma Electric Co-op in Vinita, Oklahoma, serving 38,000 customers. Echenrode has also worked as an engineering manager at Carroll Elec- tric Co-op in Berryville, Arkansas, and Indian Electric Co-op in Cleveland, Okla- homa. The UEC Board of Direc- tors chose Echenrode from a pool of 22 candidates and HLJKW¿QDOLVWVIURPDQDWLRQ- wide search. Board President Jeff Wenholz said Echenrode brings both experience and dedication to the position. “From the beginning, we were impressed with his work ethic and devotion to the cooperative, and how quickly he learned our system,” Wenholz said. Echenrode becomes only the fourth general manager in UEC history. Eldrige has served in the position since 1990, overseeing rapid growth at the Port of Morrow along with introduction of power-hungry data centers in both Boardman and Umatilla. Echenrode takes the reigns at a time when UEC is on the verge of becoming one of the state’s “large” utilities, meaning it provides at least 3 percent of all electric sales statewide. That would lead to VLJQL¿FDQW FKDQJHV LQ KRZ UEC must obtain power under the state Renewable Portfolio Standard. UEC currently serves more than 14,000 accounts and about 2,200 miles of power lines from Boardman to the Blue Mountains. The co-op recorded about $87.25 million in revenue in 2015. Echenrode has a bach- elor’s degree in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree from Okla- homa State University. As engineering manager, he was closely involved in helping UEC accommodate indus- trial expansion at the ports of Morrow and Umatilla. Echenrode and his wife, Judy, have been married since 1989. Their son Evan, 20, is a sophomore at Oklahoma State University. Their son Avery, 18, will graduate from high school in Oklahoma and has already been accepted to college by Oregon State University and Portland State University. days. “One of her wishes is to meet her. We’re making she gently informed her a video to get Ellen’s atten- classes. tion.” Senior Chyenne Carey The video will feature admitted she “started crying a a narrative and shots of little” as Youngman broke the students, each holding a sign news around Thanksgiving with one word describing and assured students that she Youngman. The NBC show believed the stage two cancer occasionally honors inspiring could be defeated. teachers. ³6KH VDLG ,¶P ¿QH ZLWK In addition, Montchalin, this,” Carey said. “She told also Youngman’s niece, set us not to worry.” up a Go Get Funding account The teenagers are trying, at gogetfunding.com to raise but it’s tough, knowing what money. The campaign is they could lose. titled “Help Mrs. Youngman “We experienced her last ¿JKWKHUEDWWOH´ cancer our sophomore year. The ongoing cancer battle This time, it’s hit us a lot is only Youngman’s latest harder,” Reilly Heggarty said physical challenge. of himself and the rest of the Youngman’s mother, seniors. “She doesn’t make a Marie Groshong, said Kath- big deal about it, but we’re ryn’s life started in dramatic very concerned for her.” fashion. The family lived The veteran teacher in McKenzie Bridge, in the travels to the Tri-Cities Oregon Cascades. When Cancer Center every other Groshong went into labor, a Monday for chemotherapy. sheriff’s deputy transported Radiation will follow. The her the 50 miles to the treatments make her nause- KRVSLWDO LQ 6SULQJ¿HOG $ ated, dizzy and weak. construction delay slowed A group of students hope the journey and the vehicle to raise money to pay for the later broke down and had to uninsured portion of Young- be towed. man’s expensive treatments “She was born three and medications and maybe minutes after we got to help her realize a dream. the hospital parking lot,” “She’s a big fan of Ellen Groshong recalled. (Degeneres),” said Katie Dean and Marie’s girl Montchalin, who substitutes attacked life, they said. She for Youngman on treatment got good grades, competed Continued from 1A tenaciously in athletics and faced challenges with a dry sense of humor. At age 10, Kathryn almost died of a burst appendix. At 27, a tangerine-sized lump was removed from behind her breastplate. The powerful chemo treatments for Hodgkin’s disease burned Youngman’s veins, damaged her hips (which eventually had to be replaced) and made her infertile. Youngman, however, gave birth to twins several years later thanks to in vitro fertilization using eggs given by her sister, Rebecca Barlow, and sperm from Kathryn’s husband, Jim. Youngman’s second bout with cancer came in 2013, requiring chemo and radi- ation treatments to destroy a tumor located in her sinus cavity. A mask covered her head and chest during radia- tion treatments. “They screwed the mask to the table. It was claustro- phobic,” Marie said. “It was hard. She steeled herself for that.” Youngman said she survives by focusing on the positive. A Mother Teresa quote she keeps on her desk sums up her attitude. “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” In her dark moments, she said, “I remind myself that 30 or 40 years ago I wouldn’t be alive. I remind myself to be grateful for what I have, rather than resentful for what I don’t have.” Youngman said she doesn’t fear death. “I don’t want to die. I’m not ready to die,” she said. “But if I have to die, I hope to accept it graciously. I know I’m going to a better place. I will leave life with no regrets.” “Her faith has always been absolutely unshakable,” said Groshong, admitting that she worries. “She has pain 24/7. I don’t know how she does it. I would trade places with her in an instant.” But that isn’t an option. Those who love Youngman can only send positive energy and encouragement. As they sit on the sidelines, they are inspired. “She’s a beautiful person, inside and out,” said student April Barkhurst. “She turns negatives into positives. She lights up every room.” “She’s really inspiring,” said Samantha Cross. “She taught me that the toughest things can be a blessing.” ——— Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastoregonian.com or call 541-966-0810. MASCOT: Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde supported the exception GRAZING: Refusing to pay could be a material breach of contract organization does not endorse illegal activity against the effectively end a rancher’s federal government, which ability to release livestock UHÀHFWVWKHYLHZRIWKH2UHJRQ onto public lands. It’s similar Cattlemen’s Association. to a contractor who has Some ranchers may feel previously defaulted on an a need to stand against the agreement and is excluded federal government to protect from bidding on government their way of life, but Mace projects, Horngren said. said it’s unclear what purpose “The real risk is they’ll be refusing to pay grazing fees unable to graze on the allot- would achieve. ment for which they’re not Mace said he prefers to paying and it’s possible they concentrate on his job of FRXOG EH GLVTXDOL¿HG IURP ranching. acquiring any allotments in “Public grazing is vital to the future,” he said. the survival of Harney County Federal agencies may also ranchers,” he said. “I don’t come after ranchers to collect see this as a real issue. Why payments for unpaid grazing would we bite the hand that fees, he said. feeds us?” Ranchers and federal agen- cies usually resolve minor contract disputes without actually voiding such deals, Horngren said. “Breaches happen on both sides.” )HGHUDO RI¿FLDOV PD\ QRW treat one missed payment as a serious issue, but tearing up a contract and refusing to pay at all would probably be consid- ered a material breach, he said. Members of the armed protest group have cited examples of ranchers refusing to pay grazing fees without consequence, such as Cliven Bundy of Nevada, who continues to graze on public land even though the govern- ment claims he owes more than $1 million to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. )HGHUDO RI¿FLDOV EDFNHG off from seizing Bundy’s cattle in 2014 after an armed standoff, and his son, Ammon, is currently leading the occu- pation in Oregon. Horngren said he’d advise ranchers against relying on that case in their decision-making and instead work through administrative and legal processes if they disagree with restrictions on grazing permits. “Withholding payment is a risky strategy for a rancher to try to make the point the BLM is not managing the range appropriately,” he said. Rancher Travis Williams said he’s considering the protesters’ proposal primarily because the money raised by the federal government from JUD]LQJ IHHV GRHVQ¶W EHQH¿W Harney County tax revenues. If he does withhold grazing fees, Williams said he doesn’t want to “freeload” and instead would make payments into an escrow account, with the money intended for the county. Though he doesn’t want to jeopardize his ranch, Williams doesn’t believe that ranchers “collaborating” with federal agencies has produced needed changes in land management. Refusing to pay grazing fees would likely be more effective, he said. “That’s the only way we’re going to get anything done.” Shawn Mace, president of the Harney County Stock- growers Association, said his Continued from 1A Continued from 1A the ban but still gave the board authority to reject individual native mascots. The board’s decision Thursday puts the decision into the hands of tribes. “Putting this decision back in the hands of the tribes to work on these issues and to move through these exceptions when it makes sense may be the most respectful act we can make as a board,” said board Co-Vice Chairman Charles Martinez Jr. In the past, the board had been resistant to relaxing the ban in light of research that suggested the mascots have a negative effect on native students’ self-esteem. Board members’ reluctance was evident Thursday, and some still strongly opposed the change. Vice Chairman Angela Bowen, an American Indian, said the Legislature has “bullied the board into acting against their consciences.” “Honestly, I am offended at this point that we would be reduced to cartoon char- acters,” Bowen said. “I’m very unhappy about the fact the Legislature has pres- sured this board to make rules the board obviously in the past has not agreed with.” But support for the exception from the Confed- erated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, which represents 27 tribes, tipped the scales on the board. Board members voted 4-to-2 to pass the exception Thursday with Bowen and Board Member Anthony Veliz opposing the measure. Board Chairwoman Miranda Summer and Veliz met with the Grand Ronde tribal council Jan. 8 to discuss the issue. Many of the Indians, warriors, braves and chiefs from history “are worthy of being honored as high school symbols of respect and integrity,” said Jack Giffen Jr., vice chairman of the Grand Ronde tribal council. The Grand Ronde have used discussions with schools that want to keep their native mascots as a vehicle to introduce curric- ulum on Oregon’s tribes to some schools. Mollala River School District, for instance, adopted a fourth-grade curriculum created by the tribe. The development begins to reverse a trend of schools ignoring or poorly describing native history and culture, Giffen said. The Grand Ronde’ s position on the exception clashed with that of the Oregon Indian Education Association and some American Indian organiza- tions, such as the National Congress of American Indians, that have focused energy to abolishing native mascots. Se-ah-dom Edmo, president of Oregon Indian Education Association, said research indicates that native mascots promote discrimination.
